Devices such as cell phones, PDAs, cable boxes and other devices often have a plurality of features that a particular user may or may not desire to use with the device. These features may be included within an application, such as a software application, stored in memory on the device, such that they may be selectively activated. A user will usually select such features upon purchasing the device, such as with a cell phone, or upon signing up for a service, such as with cable television. The features are typically set in the device before it is given to the user. It would be advantageous if the features could be selectively enabled and/or disabled from a remote location.
Providers of video, audio, or other content, such as phone or cable companies, are converting from analog delivery systems to more sophisticated digital delivery systems. These systems are being deployed, and will, over time, phase out the analog delivery systems. For example, cable companies are offering digital set top boxes to customers, that offer more viewing choices to the customer. These digital set top boxes may offer additional features and services such as additional channels, interactive user interfaces, digital programming, pay-per view, video-on-demand, subscription video-on-demand, etc.
Many providers of such video content provide to users in more than one geographic area. The providers are now offering content such as weather or traffic conditions that may be different for users in different geographic areas. It would be beneficial if this information could be individualized to the particular customer.
Additionally, such content providers may employ diagnostics in a set top box provided to the customer. This often involves pre-installing diagnostic software or code on each set top box, or downloading the diagnostics to each set top box. As the diagnostics become more and more complex, often with multiple levels of diagnostics, the software uses more memory and computational resources. The diagnostics are often run from a remote location, such as a head end. Such use makes it difficult to program each user's box individually with the appropriate level of diagnostics. It would be advantageous if different levels of diagnostics could be selectively enabled and disabled from a remote location.